LABOUR and the Conservatives were last night engaged in a game of parliamentary chicken over devolving new powers over housing to the Assembly Government.

LABOUR and the Conservatives were last night engaged in a game of parliamentary chicken over devolving new powers over housing to the Assembly Government.

The Housing Legislative Competence Order has been working its way through Parliament for nearly two years, despite Tory objections to some of the clauses.

With a general election expected to be called this week, the LCO will be part of the parliamentary “wash-up” process, where the Government and opposition decide which pieces of legislation can be nodded through before Parliament is dissolved.

Without Tory support the housing plans – which have already had to be re-drafted after a House of Lords committee suggested they could be illegal – could be sent back to the drawing board again.

The Conservatives have long objected to a clause in the LCO which would allow the Assembly Government to suspend the right to buy council houses in some areas, in order to address localised housing shortages.

The party also says it is unhappy with parts of the LCO relating to gypsy and traveller sites.

David Jones, the Clwyd West MP and shadow Wales Minister, said the Conservatives would be happy to nod the LCO through if the two clauses were removed.

He said: “The Conservative Party has two fundamental objections to the proposed Order.

“In the first place, we oppose any proposal that could lead to the abolition of the right-to-buy that is currently enjoyed by Welsh social housing tenants. The right-to-buy has greatly facilitated social mobility in Wales and is valued by politicians of all parties, including the former Secretary of State, Paul Murphy.

“The Assembly Government has confirmed that it does not intend to abolish the right-to-buy and therefore there is no reason why it should not agree to have the power to do so excluded from the LCO.

“Secondly, the LCO in its present form could potentially give the Welsh Assembly Government the right to impose the location of gypsy and traveller sites upon local communities contrary to the wishes of local authorities. We believe that that would be undemocratic and that such decisions should be taken locally.”

An exchange of letters between Mr Jones and Wales Office Minister Wayne David last night confirmed no change in the Government’s position.

The row is likely to come to a head on Tuesday and Wednesday as party managers try to deal with remaining Commons business before Parliament shuts down for the election campaign.

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said the LCO had to be passed as it was, and said the Conservatives’ objections raised questions about their commitment to devolution.

“This is an absolutely critical piece of legislation to tackle homelessness and to deal with the housing shortage, to make sure the key housing problems in Wales are comprehensively tackled,” Mr Hain told the Western Mail. “It’s backed by all the principal housing organisations in Wales.

“From my point of view this looks like another example of two-faced Toryism. They tell the people of Wales they support devolution but they oppose new powers. They support a referendum [on the Assembly’s powers] but they oppose new powers on housing.

“They have a big decision to make this week as to whether they want to kill a piece of legislation that has been the product of painstaking work to get it right, or to grant the Assembly the powers that it wants.

“It’s a big test for them on the eve of a general election.”

Mr Hain said the right-to-buy sections of the LCO would only be used in extremely rare circumstances.

He said: “The right-to-buy section is a minute part of a comprehensive piece of legislation which will only be applied – if at all – in highly restricted circumstances, confined, in all probability, to Gwynedd and Pembrokeshire, where there are particular housing shortages and young people, farm workers and others need to get on the housing ladder.

“They are presenting it as a big attack on right-to-buy, but right-to-buy is Labour policy and has been for a long time,” he added.

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